Volume One: The Emperor’s Sword Chapter 74: The Celestial Book of the Six Jias

Ready-made teachers shouldn’t go to waste.

After Yun Que placed the stone book into his sea of consciousness, the black-robed Kong Wang examined it for a long while, with earnest concentration. Only after some time did he finally avert his gaze from the stone book.

Yun Que’s spirits lifted, and he asked, “So, Uncle Wang, is this Six Jia Profound Art genuine?”

Kong Wang slowly shook his head. “I don’t know.”

Yun Que nearly lost his balance in disbelief—how could he stare at it so intently and not know!

Just as disappointment set in, Kong Wang continued, “I’ve never heard of the Six Jia Profound Art, but I recall that the Sovereign once mentioned an ancient secret method called the Six Jia Heavenly Book. It contains numerous techniques, so perhaps your Six Jia Profound Art is included within the Six Jia Heavenly Book.”

Yun Que’s eyes brightened. The Elder had said that the Supreme Six Jia Black Tortoise Divine Art originated from the Six Jia Heavenly Book, and Uncle Wang had also heard of this tome. It seemed highly likely that this technique was authentic.

“Does Uncle Wang know the whereabouts of the Six Jia Heavenly Book?”

“I don’t know.”

Kong Wang’s response was as concise as ever, leaving Yun Que utterly crestfallen.

He sat by the riverbank, troubled.

Should he cultivate it or not?

“If you wish to know whether it’s genuine, the simplest method is to cultivate it directly,” Kong Wang advised.

“But what if it’s fake? Wouldn’t I end up with my meridians reversed and a tragic fate?” Yun Que worried.

“Your sword meridians—do you still fear reversal?” Kong Wang’s voice dispelled Yun Que’s concerns.

Suddenly, Yun Que realized.

Of course, his meridians were sword meridians!

To put it plainly, they were transformed from the body of the Nine Tribulations Sword itself. Whether they reversed or not, it was up to Uncle Wang.

Other people’s meridians were fragile and easily destroyed, but his sword meridians were terrifyingly sharp and could never be harmed by any backlash from cultivation.

“I’ll begin cultivating then! If anything seems amiss, Uncle Wang, please remind me,” Yun Que said happily.

Kong Wang nodded slowly.

In truth, there was no need for reminders—if anything happened to the sword meridians, Yun Que, their master, would sense it immediately.

Leaving the sea of consciousness, Yun Que didn’t start cultivating at once, but instead pondered the Elder’s true intentions.

Initially, Yun Que suspected the Elder coveted his body, intending to seize it like the Medicine Daoist had, thus bestowing so many benefits.

He feared many things, but not body possession.

Anyone who tried to possess him would face the baptism of the Forgetting River Sword Stream—a certain death with no hope of resurrection.

But when the Elder mentioned seeking his own physical body, Yun Que realized there might be other motives at play.

That old fox was certainly no simple character.

As for the Six Jia Profound Art, Yun Que was nearly certain it was genuine; if it were fake, the Elder’s next plan could not be executed.

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Using the first layer of the technique to lure him in, then employing the subsequent layers to achieve its aims—what was the Elder’s true scheme?

He wanted nothing else, not even soul stones, and the transaction he offered was to find parts of his own body.

The thought was exceedingly strange.

Yun Que harbored a vague suspicion.

“Could it be the Elder wishes to return from the dead? Or perhaps, he never died at all!”

Arriving at this conclusion, Yun Que was shocked.

To be cut up and made into the sect’s gate—if that wasn’t death, the Elder must be a terrifying monster.

“His body was divided and forged into the treasure gates of the various Sword Palaces; thus, his arch-enemy should be in the Upper Sect!”

Yun Que continued to deduce from the clues.

The Elder must have been defeated by a powerful member of the Spirit Sword Sect, which led to his current predicament.

But as for what relationship existed between the Elder and the Spirit Sword Sect, Yun Que could not tell.

“To be treated so by the Upper Sect, the Elder’s true form must be extraordinary.”

Yun Que was deeply curious about what the Elder really was—human, demon, or some other peculiar entity.

Whatever he was, one thing was certain.

The Elder was definitely a frequent visitor to the brothels.

With Uncle Wang’s endorsement, Yun Que felt no further worries and devoted himself to studying the Six Jia Profound Art.

After two days, he made some progress.

A peculiar aura appeared on Yun Que’s skin.

It felt as if he wore an invisible garment, like a hidden armor—unseen and intangible, yet undeniably present and profoundly mysterious.

Though he had only grasped the basics, Yun Que’s confidence grew immensely!

Testing it, he found that the defensive layer from the Six Jia Profound Art could now ward off mosquito bites and shield him from wind and rain.

But it couldn’t stand up to the fangs of wild beasts, and probably couldn’t withstand a dog bite, let alone swords and blades.

Even so, Yun Que was delighted.

He had only cultivated for two days. With continued diligence, the invisible armor would become tougher and might even one day resist magical attacks!

He paused his cultivation and stretched lazily.

He planned to visit Changliu Street.

He had two main goals.

First, to find the artificer Si Ruonan and repair his damaged inner armor.

Second, to exchange some spirit stones and buy some elixirs to prepare for the upcoming Sword Child Competition.

Last time in the treasure vault, he only obtained a storage ring and a flying sword; he hadn’t acquired any spirit stones or elixirs yet.

Absorbing sword energy from the flying sword enabled Yun Que to cultivate far faster than ordinary people; if supplemented with spirit stones and elixirs, his progress would be even swifter.

Who doesn’t want to cultivate as fast as possible? Yun Que certainly did.

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He stepped out and knocked on the neighboring door.

Soon, Luo Xiaoyu poked her little head out and, seeing Yun Que, grinned foolishly.

“Brother Yun, I have a secret. Would you like to trade?” Luo Xiaoyu pulled Yun Que into her room, speaking with mysterious excitement.

“You’ve awakened spiritual energy, haven’t you?” Yun Que replied expressionlessly.

“Ah! How did you know, Brother Yun?” Luo Xiaoyu’s eyes widened, full of admiration.

“I guessed.” Yun Que glanced at the notes plastered all over the walls and found himself concerned for Sister Luo’s intelligence.

The notes read things like ‘I’m a genius!’, ‘I can cultivate!’, and ‘I will become immortal!’.

With such obvious hints, if he couldn’t guess Luo Xiaoyu had awakened spiritual energy, Yun Que would have to worry about his own intellect.

“I’ve already reached the first layer of Qi Refining! Brother Yun, how can this be? I have no spiritual root, so how can I cultivate?”

Luo Xiaoyu lay across the table, cupping her face in her hands, looking bewildered.

“Perhaps your spiritual root is deeply hidden and wasn’t detected by the Spirit Measuring Mirror. Maybe your root is related to poison.”

Suddenly, Yun Que remembered something.

Back when they were tested for spiritual roots, Luo Xiaoyu was the last; after her test, the disciple responsible for the mirror sneezed while packing away the artifact.

Yun Que had thought it odd at the time—cultivators catching colds?

Now it seemed likely Luo Xiaoyu was the cause.

Her poison must have spread through the Spirit Measuring Mirror, causing the disciple to be poisoned momentarily, producing symptoms similar to a cold.

Luo Xiaoyu herself didn’t know, and the poison released then was minimal; even the sneezing disciple hadn’t noticed.

“Should I tell others?” Luo Xiaoyu seemed at a loss, having leapt from sword servant to sword disciple—both excited and a little scared.

“No rush. Wait until the Sword Child Competition ends, then tell the Senior Sister. It won’t be too late,” Yun Que said.

“So I’ll pretend to be weak during the competition and surprise everyone—right! I’ll listen to Brother Yun!”

Luo Xiaoyu was already imagining herself drawing her sword amid the stunned and envious gazes of sword servants.

Yun Que looked at her helplessly, thinking, do you even need to pretend...

Yun Que actually had an ulterior motive.

He himself would reveal his cultivation after the Sword Child Competition. If there was someone else to accompany him, it would seem more natural.

Two people with fortuitous encounters are more convincing than one.

He wasn’t trying to trick anyone; with the competition so close, it didn’t matter whether Luo Xiaoyu’s cultivation was revealed now or later.

After leaving, Yun Que was about to head to Changliu Street when he met Zhou Yuanliang.

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